Coffin-fastener.



No. 786,095. PATBNTED MAR. 28, 1905.l F. P. BRINING & J. STAGKHOUSB.GOPPIN PASTENBR.

UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

COFFlN-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,095, dated Marcil28, 1905.

Application filed October 27, 1904. Serial No. 230,191.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK P. BRINING and J oHN STAoKHoUsE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Godin-Fasteners, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in latch or lockfor the top of caskets, coflins, and other forms of burialcases, and hasfor its object to provide alatch or lock which will fasten the top tothe body of the casket or coffin rigidly in all forms or finish, whethervarnish, cloth, plush, or other material, and it does not matter how farthe top is forced from the body by the thickness of material the latchwill lock the two parts together securely under all conditions.

A further object of our invention is to so construct the latch that itwill be spring-operated and will lock automatically.

wWith these en ds in view this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, the constructionand operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a longitudinal section through a portion of the cover andbody, showing my improved lock applied thereto; Fig. 2, an enlargedlongitudinal section through a portion of the cover and body and also ofthe lock; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the lock; Fig. 4, a perspectiveview of the retaining-plate of the lock; Fig. 5, a perspective view ofthe hook-shaped retainer which may be used in connection with the lock;Fig. 6,-a perspective view of the retaining-plate to be used with thehook-shaped retainer; Fig. 7, a longitudinal section through the lock,showing a modified form of construction; Fig. 8, a side elevation of thebolt of the lock, showing a modified form of construction; Fig. 9, aplan view of the lock, showing a modified form of construction.

A represents the cover of the casket or coffin; B, the body.

C is a plate secured to the under side of the cover, and from this platedepends the lockcasing D. This lock-casing may be formed integral withthe plate C or may be, as shown in the drawings, in the form of astamping bent up to form the casing and riveted or otherwise secured tothe plate C.

Eis the bolt of the lock, adapted to slide parallel with the plate Cwithin the casing. The nose of the bolt is beveled upon its lower side,as indicated at E', and the upper side of the nose, which normallyprotrudes from the casing D, is formed with a series of steps orshoulders F.

G is aspring interposed between the rear of the bolt E and the rear endof the casing, tending to always force the bolt outward into its normalposition.

H is a lever extending laterally across the casing D and pivotedtherein, this lever being provided upon the interior of the casing witha lug I, which fits within a recess J, formed in the bolt E, the lever Hhaving a thumbpiece .H upon the outside of the body of the coffin, andwhen this thumb-piece is pressed so as to rock the lever the lug Icoming in contact with the rear wall of the recess J will push the boltE backward against the tension of the spring G.

K is the retaining-plate of the lock, which is screwed or otherwisesecured in the upper edge of the body, and this retaining-plate has anopening K formed through the same through which thelock-casingD maypass. A cavity B/ is formed in the wood of the body underneath theretaining-plate to receive the lock-casing. Thus it will be seen that bypressing the lock-casing D downward through the opening K of theretaining-plate K the bolt E will be forced backward on account of theinclined surface E striking the retainingplate; but as soon as thelock-casing has been pressed down far enough to pass the nose of thebolt said bolt will be shot forward by the spring G, so that one or theother of the shoulders F will engage the under side of theretaining-plate, and the shoulder which engages the retaining-platedepends upon the distance the casing D can be forced downward throughthe retaining-plate. Thus if the cofin or casket is only varnished orpainted there will benonlaterial interposed between the top and body, sothat the casing l) can be forced through the retaining-plate until thetwo parts are in contact. This will allow the bolt to be shot forward toits fullest extent, and the top shoulder F will engage the under side ofthe retaining-plate, as shown in Fig. l; but should the cofn or casketbe upholstered with cloth this cloth would hold the top from coming incontact with the body such adistance that the second shoulder would beable to engage the under side of the retaining-plate; but this wouldlock the two parts together just as securely as though the top shoulderengaged the plate. If heavy plush or other heavy material is used toupholster the coin, then the top would be held at such a distance fromthe body that only the lowermost shoulder could engage theretaining-plate. Thus it will be seen that by providing` a lock of thisdescription the same lock will answer for cofns no matter how finishedand will automatically lock the top to the body by simply pressing downupon the same and can be instantly released by a slight pressure uponthe thumbpiece H.

If desired, two locks would be used upon each side of the coffin, one atthe forward and the other at the rearward end; but we have found that itis not necessary to have two locks upon each side, as a simplehook-shaped retainer can be used upon one end or each side of the cofiinto operate in conjunction with the lock. This retainer consists of aplate L, screwed or otherwise secured to the under side of the cover,and having a hookshaped nose M depending and extending forward from thesame, said hook-shaped nose adapted to pass through an opening N',formed through a retaining-plate N, secured to the upper edge of thebody, a cavity B2 being formed in the body of the coiiin underneath theretaining-plate N to receive the retainernose M. Thus it will be seenthat the nose of the retainer must be slid into the opening M/ at anangle and forced forward, and itcannot be removed from theretainer-plate without moving the top rearward, and when the casing D ofthe lock is forced downward through the retainingplate K the top cannotbe moved rearward until the casing D is raised, so as to be free of theretaining-plate. Thus in placing the top upon the cofi'in the top isplaced so that the nose M and lockcasing D are to the rear of theiropenings and the top is slid forward until the nose M enters the slot N,and it is then pushed forward until stopped. Then the lock D will bedirectly over the opening K and may be forced downward and lockedautomatically.

. Longitudinal grooves K2 and N2 are formed in the retaining-plates Kand Nat the rear of the openings K and N to guide the nose M andlock-casing D to their respective openings. Of course it is obvious thatthe bolt E should be provided with as many shoulders as desired, so thatthe lock could be adapted to as many different thicknesses of materialbetween the top and body as desired; but in practice we believe threeshoulders will be all that is necessary, and the bolt could be made withone shoulder, if desired, as shown in Fig. 7, or the shoulders could beformed as shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 7 we have shown amodified form of spring, where instead of usinga helical spring or in using a spring separate from the casing we soconstruct the casing that the rear wall D is made of spring material andis bent inward, so as to contact the rearward end of the bolt and act asa spring therefor.

In Fig. 9 we have shown a modified form of construction in which thebolt is operated by a horizontally-moving lever instead of a rockleveror a key, as before described. In this construction a simple notch ismade in the upper surface of the bolt, and a flat lever Q lies in thisnotch and is arranged directly underneath the plate C, said lever beingpivoted in said plate C at the point Q.

A particular advantage of this lock is that it requires no specialfitting, the lock being secured to the plate-surface by screws so placedthat all weight will be in a vertical line with the screws and withoutany side strain.

Of course we do not wish to be limited to the exact construction hereshown, as slight modifications could be made Without departing from thespirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anduseful is- 1. In a lock for coiiins or caskets, a lockcasing secured toand depending from the top, a retaining-plate secured to the top edge ofthe body provided with an opening formed therethrough large enough toallow for the passage of the lock-casing, a horizontallysliding boltarranged within the casing, the nose of which is adapted to normallyprotrude from the casing, a spring for holding the bolt in its normalposition, the nose of the bolt provided with a beveled edge upo'n itslower side, the top of the nose of the bolt being formed with a seriesof shoulders or steps, one above the other, adapted to engage the underside of the retaining-plate so as to lock the top to-the body when saidtop is removed more or less from the body by the upholstering material,and means for retracting the bolt from the exterior of the coffin orcasket, asl specified.

2. In a lock for cofiins or caskets, a plate se- IOO IIO

cured to the under side of the top, a lock-casing depending therefrom, aretaining-plate secured to the upper edge of the body, saidretaining-plate provided with an opening formed therethrough largeenough to allowv for the passage of the lock-casing, alongitudinally-sliding bolt arranged within the lockcasing, the nose ofthe bolt normally protruding forward from the casing, a springinterposed between the rear of the bolt and the rear of the casing forholding the bolt in its normal position, the nose of the bolt beveledfrom its outer forward end inward and downward so that the bolt will bepressed inward when it is forced through the retainer-plate, the topedge of thc nose of the bolt provided with a series of shoulders ornotches adapted to engage the retaining-plate when the top is more orless removed from the body by different thicknesses of upholsteringmaterial. a rock-lever provided transversely through the lock-casing andextending to the outside of the coffin or casket, a lug or web formedwith the rock-lever upon the inside of the lock-casing, the boltprovided with a recess or notch in which the lug is adapted to operateto retract the bolt when the rock-lever is rocked, as and for thepurpose specified.

3. ln a lock for coflins or caskets, plates secured to the under side ofthe top of the coli-in on each side near one end thereof, a lock-casingdepending from each plate, retainingplates secured to the top edge ofthe body upon each side, each retaining-plate provided with an openingformed therethrough large enough to admit the passage of thelock-casing, a longitudinallysliding bolt arranged within thelock-casing, the nose ofwhich normall y protrudes forward of the casing,a spring for holding the bolt in its normal position, means extending tothe exterior of the cofn or casket for retracting the bolt, the nose ofthe bolt being beveled upon its lower side from its outer forwardpointinward and downward so that the bolt will be pressed inward whenthe lock-casing is forced through the retaining-plate, the upper surfaceof the nose of the bolt being provided with a series of shoulders ornotches adapted to engage the retaining-plate when the top is more orless removed from the body by upholstering material, plates secured tothe under side of the top upon each side near the other end of thecoffin, a hook-shaped nose depending from and curving forward from eachplate, retaining-plates secured to the top edge of the coffin providedwith openings formed therethrough through which the hook-shaped nosesare adapted to pass so that the top of the cofiin will not only have tobe raised but must be pulled rearward to disengage the hook-shaped nosesfrom the retaining-plates, and longitudinal grooves formed in the uppersurface of both sets of retaining-plates at the rear of the openings forguiding the hook-shaped noses and the lock-casing to said openings, asand for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK P. BRINING. JOHN STACKHOUSE.v Witnesses:

E. C. AUSTIN, FRED HILL.

